Improving Bow Sprit/Anchor Rollers on Cape Dory 31

[jen1722terry]

Hello Fellow Owners and Happy Holidays!

We purchased our CD 31 in July. The bow sprit has the original anchor rollers that need replacing. When we tried to use the rollers for anchoring, the anchor line jumped off.

We would like to add two new anchor rollers of the design that keeps the anchor rode in place on the roller. Any suggestions? The Spartan Marine models are out of our price range.

Also, should we reinforce the bow sprit so it can withstand the anchoring loads in bad weather? Or should we just run a birdle from the two bow chocks for bad weather anchoring?

Any thoughts from fellow owners would be most appreciated. Also, if any of you are sailing near Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia this summer, stop on in!

Thanks so much,

Jenn and Terry McAdams
"Glissade" CD 31
Kearsarge, New Hampshire
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
jen1722terry@gmail.com

[Neil Gordon]

My 28's roller has the same issue. I routinely let out whatever scope I'm using and then lead the rode through a chock. I've often considered a bridle arrangement, which doesn't seem any more complicated than attaching a dock line to the anchor rode with a rolling hitch.

I'd consider saving the boat bucks, living with what you have and experimenting with a bridle. (I'll add that what you experiment with in "easy" weather is lots easier to do when conditions become more demanding.)

[swhfire21]

Do your boats have open top bow rollers? The CD 26 I just bought has a bow roller with no side plates or rings to restrain the anchor and line. Is this the original design or did someone take something off of it? This is the first time of ever seen a bow roller with no type of line/anchor guide or restraint. How are you supposed to use it without a guide/restraint?

[Neil Gordon]

Do your boats have open top bow rollers? The CD 26 I just bought has a bow roller with no side plates or rings to restrain the anchor and line. Is this the original design or did someone take something off of it? This is the first time of ever seen a bow roller with no type of line/anchor guide or restraint. How are you supposed to use it without a guide/restraint?

I use the roller for storage, for letting go and letting out line and for reversing that process when it's time to leave. When on the hook, the anchor rode is lead through a chock.

There are lots of comments in the archives about the notion that the bowsprit isn't designed for heavy side loads. (I'd be interested to know whether there's an actual case of failure, though.)

[Klem]

I was going to recommend the spartan roller until I noticed that you said it is out of your price range. If price is a big concern, you could purchase a piece of stainless angle stock and make two cheaks to keep the anchor and line from jumping off the roller. By putting a pin through the top, you could keep the rode captive but be able to remove it when you want also. Just be sure to spend the time to carefully radius all your edges so that you don't have chafe issues.

If you decide to buy a roller, be aware that most quality rollers are pretty expensive ($200) and not that different from the spartan version. The cheap rollers can't take much load and some may even be bent when you put you bow into a bigger wave.

In my opinion, you only need a single roller on this size boat. Modern anchor technology is good enough that a single anchor can cover all of the bottom types you reasonably expect to encounter unless you really like to try out of the way places. You should have a second anchor but they are small enough for a 31 that you can launch it by hand without a roller if you ever need to.

[Steve Laume]

I had the same problems with the CD roller. Unless you kept the boat in near perfect alignment the rode would fall off. This was often the situation I would find myself in especially when single handing. While the rode would fall off easily it is a bear to get back in place.

I looked at the Spartan roller but it was expensive and did not add any strength to the sprit. I cut the outside ear off of the sprit and mounted a Windline roller. The thing is heavy duty and holds the anchor very well. I had to drill a large hole in the side flange to allow for the removal of the forestay pin and grind away a bit to fit it around the chain plate. You might not have to do as much modification on the CD-31. I used fender washers along with regular washers to mount it. A large backing plate would be even better. When you do go to bolt it down, make sure you are not lined up with the bronze rods that bolt the sprit together. Look on the edges of the sprit for the large plugs to locate them.

This roller works very well and I often leave the rode in it if it is a calm night or I am just anchoring for a short time in settled conditions. The roller does a lot to stiffen up the bow sprit.

Raven carries 90 feet of chain and I usually try to anchor in shallow water. I can often get away with clipping a hook into one of the last chain links with a length of three strand nylon attached. I will then lead the line through the chock and cleat it off on one side. Then I take the anchor rode and put it through the other cleat and adjust to form the bridle. If the water depth requires more scope I just tie in a rolling hitch and follow the same procedure.

This roller is strong enough that I was able to drill a hole in one of the upright flanges and shackle on a block for the tack line of down wind sails.

If you are going to mount dual rollers you might even be able to tie them together for added strength, Steve.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... 6&id=31462

[Brian2]

I have a 28 and the anchor rode pops off the roller when anchored, so I always lead the rode back thru a chock to a bow cleat, then rig a bridle with a dockline and a rolling hitch. This greatly reduces swinging at anchor, and I don't think the bow sprit is made for rode load anyway.

[Klem]

I was going to recommend the spartan roller until I noticed that you said it is out of your price range. If price is a big concern, you could purchase a piece of stainless angle stock and make two cheaks to keep the anchor and line from jumping off the roller. By putting a pin through the top, you could keep the rode captive but be able to remove it when you want also. Just be sure to spend the time to carefully radius all your edges so that you don't have chafe issues.

If you decide to buy a roller, be aware that most quality rollers are pretty expensive ($200) and not that different from the spartan version. The cheap rollers can't take much load and some may even be bent when you put you bow into a bigger wave.

In my opinion, you only need a single roller on this size boat. Modern anchor technology is good enough that a single anchor can cover all of the bottom types you reasonably expect to encounter unless you really like to try out of the way places. You should have a second anchor but they are small enough for a 31 that you can launch it by hand without a roller if you ever need to.

[Jim Walsh]

This is the set up I have on Orion. It's a custom fabricated unit. This is used for my main anchor both for storage and in use. The pin which holds the rode is not in place and was only removed because this photo was taken while in the middle of varnishing this fall. The lunch hook resides on the port roller and has no way to keep the rode from working off of the roller, what I usually do is transfer the lunch hook rode to the port side chock after deployment if conditions warrant. Thus I have two anchors ready for immediate deployment.

[Jim Walsh]

I should have included this photo of the underside of the bowsprit showing the rest of the unit.

[jen1722terry]

Thanks so much to all of you for the comments, with a special thanks to Jim Walsh for the photos. The custom installation he devised is impressive, and makes storing our lunch hook on the port roller much easier.

Jim's arrangement should hold the rode safely in all but the most extreme weather, in which case we would move the rode to the bow chocks.

Thanks again to all you kind owners. We plan to sail our 31 from Portsmouth, NH around to Mahone Bay Nova Scotia next spring and we may see a few of you along the way. Be sure to say hello if you notice us.

And our best wishes to all for a warm and happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year.

Jenn and Terry McAdams
CD 31 #33 "Glissade"
Kearsarge, NH
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

[rtbates]

Can't address the bow sprite issue, but for the rode jumping off and securing an anchor, how about simply adding a strap across the top? I did this to our 25D.

[tjr818]

RANDY! What did you do to get the teak looking so nice?

[eb1smith]

You could use the bails as shown, use rolled one for reduced chafe. The only concern that I would have is the strength of the bowsprit in extreme conditions. The bowsprit is only wood and would need reinforced. I use a bridle through the two chocks, unless I know it the conditions will be benign.

[rtbates]

RANDY! What did you do to get the teak looking so nice?

Lots of prep work cleaning and three coats of Teaqua.